Plumbing fixture adapter



July 26, 1932. F. c. KUHNLE 1,868,665

PLUMBING FIXTURE ADAPTER Filed May 31, 1928 Patented July 26, 1932UNITED STATES FREDERICK CIKUIINLE, or'oIIIoAeo, ILLINOIS PLUMBINGFIXTURE ADAPTER Application led May 31,

My invention is l fixtures. Y

The object of mv invention is the provision of a. simple, inexpensivemeans for providan adapter for plumbing ing anishing device for plumbingiixtures where the connections are concealed in the wall or partitionand the operating mechanism or valve protrudes through the walls. It ispeculiarly adapted' to all such plumbing v equipment as is shown in myapplication-No. 56,399 liledV September 14th1925. f Anillustrativeembodiment of my"invenltion isrshown in the attached drawing, but Yitisl only limited thereto as far as Iam l5 limited by the scope of myclaims. j

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a valve mechanism with portions exposed toshow the internal and external structure1 with a standard porvcelainbonnet. Fig. 2 is a. similar valve structure with my adapter deviceshown in connection therewith. Fig. 3 is a cross section vof Fig. 2 atthe line indicated by arrows.

`In the installation of plumbing fixtures, when a building is beingnewly constructed the standard process is to install the rough parts inthe wall and leave a. protruding portion (with the valve mechanismremoved) until after the plastering and finishing work is done. l In thework of the inishers and plasterers the constant tendencyis to not onlyleave on the iiXture more or less plaster and other injuring iniiuences,but quite orten the portion of the mechanism protruding through the wallbecomes injured before the building is complete. `As the exposedportions of plumbing fixtures usually have some nickelingat a pointwhere the fixture comes through the wall the said ixture is oftentimesinjured beyond repair; and even if the same could be removed to 'berepaired,'it is ordinarily out of the question. Likewise, in the use ofplumbing xtures the nickeled portions are apt towbecome injured in use,and when s uch injury occurs it is impossible to repair it except bv atearingaway of the wall and removing the entirety of the fixture.

In a large number of cases a porcelain bonying the porcelain bonnet14are shown 1n my 1928,V Serial No. 281,724.

net orcap is assembled on the valve rod to cover the portionof thefixture extendingout into the room beyond the .Wall finish. Asillustrated my device is an adapter for all kinds of valve connectionswhere they extend through thewall, and provides an arrangement .wherebyone standard'valve body can f be used and accommodate any type ofiinished equipment. 5 kis the body oran ordinary valve combination beingthe stud por- 50 tion whichextendsfrom the lines running in thepartition or the wall out into Athe area designed for service. `At ornear the point of the wall connection'I provide a collar or band 6 as anintegral/,end portion of thebody extension'orstud 5. I kprovide ashoulder or iianger slightly larger in diameter than the j collar 6 so`that the hereinafter described adapter may snugly pass over 6 and iindits "stopping point at 7. Closely adjacent the an- 6 and bisecting theannular groove 8. ,This

*described member 5` is `made to become a 'standard type in-plumbingequipment ixture Vfor the purposes described; and beingmade a standardcasting it can be installed in the processor construction without thedanger of suffering any injury from the workmen in rS0 plastering, infinishing, or in the use of their tools The nut 16 for enclosing thevalve mechanism, the packing 17, the gland nut 18, and the nipple 13 forattaching andsupportformer pant referred to and are a standardequipment. rVVhen in cases where the porcelain bonnet 14k type of finishis not used, and the other finishes are desired I provide asubstantially tubular or adapter shell 1() having a boss or'indent 11directed inwardly adjacent one end of the shell 10. The purpose of thisboss or indent 11 isto form a locking means for the shell; by passingthe same down over the collar 6 the indent l'l-follows '95 the groove 9until it reaches thek annular groove 8 whence by a slight turn theadapter shell is locked upon the body extension. The shell 10 may be anylength desired to meet the need. I provide a collar 12 upon a turned CIIover portion of the shell to surround the stem of the valve protrudingtherethrough.

It will be readily seen that this device makes a universally adaptablefixture, as it can be slipped on the fixture after all the building Workhas been done and can be made to suit any decoration desired forplumbing work, and the same can be removed at any time at the merestnominal expense by the merest novice, for any changes which may bedesired.

This device, though primarily devised to cover the outer end of afixture having a valve and valve regulating mechanism, is equallyadapted to any such plumbing fixture Where the conveying Water pipes areinstalled in the partition or Wall and an outlet or opening extends fromthe main line through the partition to a point of accessibility.

I claim 1. A fixture of the character described having on the surface ofits outer port-ion an annular band, adjacent said band and approximatelynear the outlet end an annular groove, adjacent said groove a shoulderof greater diameter than the annular band, a groove in the annular bandand communicating with the annular groove.

2. An outlet fixture for the purposes described Wherein the supply pipesare concealed Within a Wall and a protruding portion therefrom extendsthrough the wall, an end portion of said protruding portion having abearing face, adjacent said bearing face and slightly spaced from theouter end of said protruding portion an annular groove, adjacent saidgroove and on the opposite side thereof from the bearing face an annularflange or shoulder having a greater circumference than the bearing face,a longitudinal groove in the bearing face extending cross- Wise thereofbisecting the annular groove, and of substantially the same depth as theannular groove.

3. An outlet fixture for the purposes described wherein the supply pipesare concealed Within a Wall and having a protruding portion extendingtherefronr through the nali, the open end of said protruding portionbeing internally threaded and having an external annular bearing face,adjacent said bearing face and spaced from the outer end of saidprotruding portion an annular groove, adjacent said groove and on theopposite side thereof from the bearing face, an annular flange orshoulder having a greater circumference than the bearing face, alongitudinal groove in the face of the bearing extending cross-Wisethereof bisecting the annular groove and of substantially the same depthas the annular groove.

f-l. .ln a device for the purpose described, a. housing having an outletformed with a bearing surface, an annular groove adjacent to bearingsurface, an annular shoulder adjacent the annular groove, a valve stem,nuts threadedly assembled in said outlet adapted to cooperate with thevalve stem, packing compressed betiveen said nuts, a covering adapterformed to slidingly operate upon the valve stem and engage said bearingsurface and said annular shoulder and having means to engage in theannular groove to loclingly attach the adapter to the outlet of thehousing.

5. A fixture of the character described having on its outer portion anannular band, adjacent said band and spaced from the outlet point ofsaid outer portion an annular groove adjacent said groove a shoulder ofgreater diameter than the annular band, a groove transverse of theannular band and bisecting the annular groove, a tubular member Whoseinternal diameter is fractionally greater than the external diameter ofthe annular band adapted to pass over the annular band and engage saidshoulder, and means engaging in said annular groove to lock the saidtubular member to said outer portion.

G. ln a plumbing fixture forming an outlet from Wall enclosed piping theoutlet terminating in an outer bearing surface and internally threaded,adjacent the said bearing surface and spaced from the end thereof anannular groove adjacent said groove and more distant than the said grovefrom the fixture terminal an annular shoulder of greater diameter thanthe said bearing surface, a groove of substantially equal depth to theannular groove longitudinally cutting the surface of the bearing portionand bisecting the annular groove, an enclosing nut having an aperturefor the insertion of a valve stem, packing in said nut and a packinggland nut.

7. A fixture of the character described having on its outer portion anannular band, adjacent said band and approximately near the outlet pointof said outer portion an annular groove, adjacent said groove a shoulderforming an abutment, a groove in the annular band and bisecting theannular groove,y a tubular member Whose internal diameter isfraetionally larger than the. external diameter of the annular band, atone end of said tubular member an internal boss adapted to pass freelyalong the transverse groove and lockingly turn annularly in the annulargroove, an opening in the opposite end of the tubular member adapted toreceive a valve stem for operation therethru.

8. ln a device for purposes described the combination with a valvecontained outlet stud of a substantially tubular member adapted to coverthe valve and valve mechanism operatively assembled in the stud andaccommodate the valve stem extending therefrom, the external Wall of thestud having an annular groove thereon, adjacent said groove and spacedfrom the end of the fixture an annular shoulder forming an abuttingportion, a groove longitudinal of said roo external Wall and bisectingthe annular groove; the tubular member having one end the inside et oneend ot the tubular memberV adapted to be passed through the'transversegroove when the tubular member is mounted y upon said stud and adaptedto be annularly turned into the annular groove and locking* ly attachthe tubular member to the stud.

9. A plumbing' fixture of the class described having on its outlet studportion an Y annular band7 spaced from the outer end of said outletportion an annular groove, yadjacent said groove and on the sidethereof' opposite to that of the annular band a shoulder ot greaterdiameter than the annular band, a groove transverse of the annular bandi and bisectingv the annular groove, a substantially tubular member oneend of which has an intern al diameter ractionally larger than theexternal diameter of the annular band adapted to snugly pass over theannular band, one end ot said tubular member having internal thereofmeans adapted to coact With the transverse Kgroove and lockinglyturnannularly in the annular groove.

l0. A fixture ot the character described having on and integral with itsoutlet stud portion an annular band', spaced from the outer end of saidoutlet portion an annular groove adjacent said groove and on the sidethereof opposite to that of the annular band a shoulder of greaterdiameter than the annular band, a groove on said annular band andbisecting the annular groove, a substan# tially tubular member having aninternal diameter fractionally larger than the external diameter of theannular band and adapted to snugly pass over the annular band, lone endoi said tubular member having internal thereof means adapted to coactwith the transverse groove and loclringly turn annularly in the annulargroove, the opposite end of the tubular member formed to coact With avalve rod and eect a substantial closure.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, May 23, 1928.

FREDERICK C. KUHNLE.

